Spring "Health Fair on the Block" was really Hot!

Published: June 5, 2018

Nearly ten years ago, Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation’s (GAGDC) held the first health fair on the block, which eatured about half a dozen booths in the parking lot, and half of those were from the local health clinic and vendors supporting school based health programs.

Now, GAGDC continues to block off the street between Racine and May, on 79th Street, and offers free health screenings primarily glucose and blood pressure and secure HIV testing. Local businesses including local pharmacies, insurance agencies, senior, youth and cancer organizations to name a few health partners held healthy food demonstrations, and shared literature and fun giveways to help spread the awareness and knowledge around key health disparities across southside communities, like Auburn Gresham. This year, like many was a scucces because of a key relationship and recurring sponsorship by CVS Health, that are cultivated by the GAGDC education and health team.

This year, it was a 'hot' event but it not in the typical way. Typically our health fair is packed with a high volume of foot traffic. This year, the anticipated 300-400 people who attend the four-hour event, in Auburn Gresham, must have been hiding from the atypical 90 degree weather.

In spite of the weather, those in attendance, who weathered the heat, really enjoyed the day. We really, really want to thank our vendors and health providers, who braved the summer-like weather and came out to attend the Health Fair. Yes, we agree it was HOT! We understand as a result, many left early. As is normal for the team, they scheduled a rain date for June 7th. We never anticipated that during Spring in Chicago, for the Health Fair on the Block that we would have needed a "sun" day!

You would know from the beautiful pictures captured by Monique Caston, GAGDC's AGGOLD AmeriCorps education coordinator, assigned to Cook Elementary School. Great job on the photos Monique! Your energy along with the entire education team Melanie, Kim, Selina and Derris helped the community and our partners make the best of a really hot day. Kudos's to the team!

Most of all, thank you for the high ratings on the partner survey, in spite of the weather. Your input was a key set of date that we take extremely serious. Based on all the vendor and event sponsor feedback, we look forward to adjusting the guidelines and making sure that:

We as best as possible, will choose the date and time strategically, for "rain" and high "sun" temperatures.

Outreach, Outreach, Outreach is crystal clear. We hear you loud and clear! We'll use staff, partnerships and our volunteer network to help spread the word and recruit health fair participants. Our goal like previous years is to ensure good foot traffic, "on the block."

With the exception of the cost for decorations (balloons, table cloths, tables, chairs, refreshments, giveaways), the event is relatively low cost to the organization. That duly noted, we will ensure lower cost advertising such as social media efforts by the GAGDC staff and vendors is increased and tradition fliers (distribution costs) are distributed around the community at schools, local businesses, churches, local institutions and especially local health providers and task forces.

In the past we have often had donated services or spent a small amount of budget on interactive healthy events, including family Zumba and yoga for pre-schoolers, double dutch for adults and even bike to the health fair events.

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Mission

To foster and promote revitalization of the community by designing and implementing programs that improve the community’s economic viability; increase availability of quality housing to people of different income levels, while maintaining and improving existing affordable housing; and enhance delivery of social services, particularly to senior citizens.